In Another Life
by DecemberPaintedWings
Summary: Damon had always held onto her since they met - she was his lifeline.  But with the future so uncertain, how could this love be anything but doomed?  *Rated T for mentions of war and possible death* AU, AH Set in the 1859-ish, assuming Damon is 21 in 1864
1. Streaming Daylight

**A/N: This story is a Caroline/Damon one-shot. It is pretty AU as far as canon events go. I am normally a Delena and Forwood shipper, but my brain is on crack lately from sleep deprivation. Please enjoy, since it most likely will not happen ever again; unless I for some reason decide to add more chapters to this. Please let me know what you think in a review! **

In Another Life

Damon Salvatore ran twice as fast, losing his breath and trying to catch up. She was spinning as she sprinted forward, so it shouldn't have been that difficult. But seeing her in that beautiful white dress, her long golden hair swaying loose was enough to make him far more breathless than running ever would. Sometimes he wondered what life would have been like for him had her family not moved to town the year he turned twelve years old; that horrible year after his mother died. Giuseppe had begun to ignore his children in his grief. Anytime they were remembered by his fading spirit, it was for harsh criticism.

Damon knew that he blamed them for her death. Violet had never been very strong but the birth of the children had drained her of what little God-given strength she may have possessed. First came Damon and then were two miscarriages. For awhile afterwards she had been bedridden, unable to make her way down the staircase on her own. Then she had regained herself once more. That had again been compromised when Stefan was born three years after Damon. After Stefan a stillborn girl was birthed and yet another miscarriage happened, which had at last been the death of their fragile mother. So with no one that was really to blame for it other than himself, Giuseppe turned his cold hatred upon his sons. Damon bore most of it to shield his younger brother from the pain of it.

Then Caroline Forbes had moved to town with her parents and siblings. Her Uncle Allen was already there, one of the founders of the town. So her family had decided to move to Mystic Falls, Virginia from Charleston, South Carolina so her mother Elizabeth could be closer her only relative alive, her brother. Immediately it had been clear to Damon that she was different from the other girls in this judgmental place. At the annual picnic the Lockwood family held, she had played tag with the boys instead of tea-party with her sisters Elena and Meredith. When Jonathan Gilbert's son pushed her down, she didn't even cry. Caroline got up with a determined set to her perfect mouth and punched him in the face. His blackened eye was quite impressive. Later, the other boys began to make fun of Damon's new shoes. Caroline had defended him fiercely and led him away to start their own 'far more fun' game. She had saved him.

So now, with the humidity flushing his skin as Damon flew across the meadow after her, he was happy. Caroline was the only thing in his life other than Stefan to ever make him feel this way since their Mother had died. At sixteen he could see the evidence of war brewing between the Northern and Southern states. The Union was cracking apart, with some states already rumbling with thoughts of secession. Damon hoped that war never touched them. All he wanted from life was to marry the girl he loves (even though he has not told her so – yet) and watch their children capture fireflies and dance through the thick southern air like their beautiful mother.

As she runs spinning madly, her beautiful hair trailing behind her, he imagines this future for them. Damon wishes it could be so, but he knows what is like as not going to happen in reality – he will go off to fight for something he doesn't believe and die for it. She will marry someone else (most definitely Ezra Gilbert or Samuel Lockwood) and have those back porch moments of perfectness without him to share them with. But for now he refuses to dwell on the more likely truths of their future together that will never be. Instead, he chases after his dreams in the dying sunlight of one of the best days of his young life. Desperately clinging to the red ribbon she had slipped from her hair, he finally catches up to her. They both stop for a moment and look into one another's eyes. His are clear, with obvious delight. Caroline's eyes are dark with mischief. Sparks connect them as he gently spins her around, so her back is facing him.

Damon reaches up, threading his fingers into her hair, trying to tame the wildness of it. He braids it slowly, savoring how close he feels to her in the fleeting space of time. Tying the violently hued ribbon upon the end of her braid, Damon moves forward to her side. His thin fingers entwine with Caroline's delicate ones, and holding onto each other they move forth into an uncertain destiny. No matter what happens in this life they will always have this day with one another, even if it belongs in another life when all is said and done.


	2. If I Die Young

**A/N: So this response to this overwhelmed me! None of my other stories have ever gotten that many reviews in one day and they all wanted one thing – more! Thank you all for your kind words and praise, they mean a lot to me. And actually, I had an idea for another chapter or two. I think that if I continue though, this is going to be an All-Human story. This is Caroline from present times personality-wise, just in Damon's original time period. I'm just curious to see where living out their human lives could've taken them. P.S. Did anyone notice the names of C's sisters? It was my personal homage to the books in a world mostly from the T.V. show. Oh and this chapter's title was taken from the song by "The Band Perry", cause it inspired me. Enjoy and let me know your thoughts! **

If I Die Young

Damon Salvatore was in Hell. Or at least that was what he thought to himself every time they marched onto another stretch of bloody, violent battlefield. Today, the 3rd of May in the year of 1863 was the worst of his life. At twenty years old he had only been a soldier in the Confederate Army for about six months. He had already seen battle. Damon wished to God he could sear the memories from his brain. Hungry, tired and flea-ridden he dreamed of battle late at night; he saw the bloody faces of his fallen comrades, the flies swarming their still warms corpses. Waking up in cold sweats, he emptied his stomach almost every morning. Dressed in tatters of a once proud uniform, all he wished for was to return home again. To feel the sunlight on his grimy face was a mockery to all that it once stood for, what seemed forever to be in the past. Today was to be the fourth day of battle upon the earth of Chancellorsville, Virginia and Damon would not be surprised if this was the last sunrise that he ever saw.

Caroline was in his thoughts now, the way she looked that last day they'd been together in November, before he had entered into this agony. She had been beautiful, even in her worn green dress that was two years out of fashion; it was his favorite because it matched her sparkling eyes. That last conversation still haunts him, even now six months after. Caroline had always been stubborn but he was equally so and they had been at an impasse. She still writes to Damon faithfully, sending a letter every day although he gets almost none of them (they move around far too much for regular mail). He remembers as the breeze blows across his face and he rubs the stubble on his chin. Shaving is yet another thing that is a mere memory now.

_***Flashback***_

Damon is uncomfortable in his suit. He has always hated them even though they are expected of a man in his social standing. As an heir to a rich land-owner, he has responsibilities to uphold and must dress his part; even if it means being very uncomfortably situated in clothes that never fit quite right. Tonight Giuseppe is giving a party. It turns out that joining the army to fight for the Confederacy was all it took to acquire the pride and attention of his father. After years of striving to be the best son possible, signing up to most likely die for a cause that would probably lose out was what finally made his father proud of him? The irony of this is not lost on Damon and he smirks wryly to himself as he thinks on it, careful to avoid lingering on the likelihood that this is his last night in this house. A knife twists in his stomach and he turns sharply away from the glass on the wall, not wanting to look at his reflection; it looks too hopeful for its own good.

Leaving his suite of rooms, Damon bounds down the staircase taking them two at a time, anticipating only one thing that this party promises to include: Caroline. The woman that he loves who has only become more beautiful in the years they have known one another. No other man of their age has made any attempt to court her other than that pompous ass, Ezra Gilbert. That was just his personality though, entitlement seeping from his pores, polluting the air around him. All the others knew the incontrovertible truth. Damon and Caroline were destined for each other and no one could come between the bond they shared. He knew he wanted to marry Caroline that first day he had seen her, punching Ezra Gilbert for pushing her down.

At the bottom of the stairs he paused a moment to collect himself. Damon's hands were shaking with nerves and he could not say exactly what had him feeling so the most; was it the fear that she would say 'no' or that she would say 'yes'? He could hear the sounds of music being played on the pianoforte and glasses (most filled with champagne probably) clinking cheerily. Steeling his heart for the following events, whatever they may be, he walks with a false smile on his face to join his father, brother, _her_ and the remnants of their neighbors. She was the first thing his eyes landed upon when he walked into the room. The green of her dress was plied by the capricious firelight as she stood calmly beside the mantle.

Caroline's wild hair was caught up in ribbons, twisted in upon itself almost artistically. Damon knew what a battle she and her maid had most likely experienced for such a seemingly simple task and it made him smile softly. He moved in her direction but was intercepted by his brother Stefan, who looked as though he was attending a funeral. Stefan always appeared somber, but this was just ridiculous, Damon thought to himself amusedly.

"Brother, you must smile! I'm going to fight the glorious fight, not lay down inside the family tomb. Cheer up! I'll be back again before you even realize that I've been gone. In the meantime I have a very important task for you in my absence." It took everything in his entire being for Damon to avoid grimacing as he said the words 'glorious fight.' If only he actually believed what he was telling Stefan, maybe he could go away with peace in his heart and meet death, his head held high. Clasping his hand firmly upon Stefan's shoulder, Damon led him towards an unoccupied corner of the crowded room. Facing him, staring intently, Damon began to explain Stefan's duty to him. "Now, while I am gone Father will be able to take care of himself quite fine. Of that I am sure, but Caroline will be lonely and worried. She will worry herself sick if she'd let alone with it. Stefan I am counting upon you to take care of her in my absence. Do not allow her to be gloomy, make her laugh as much as is possible. Her smile will hearten my thoughts upon the field of battle. Can you manage this for me?"

Stefan's eyes had been averted, made uncomfortable by his brother's intensity. But now he looked upward to answer 'Yes' – the word, so simple in itself, stuck in his throat. He had been very worried since Damon had enlisted three days ago, but his brother had tried his best to reassure him. He had almost succeeded too; until now, when he had finally slipped from his façade of indifference about his life or death (as was most likely). Oh, he still had a smile pasted upon his face, desperately trying to protect Stefan's sensibilities. But the glint of terror and resigned hopelessness in his eyes told him everything Damon had refused to say aloud. Unsticking his voice he answered, "Yes Brother, I will make sure Caroline is well in your absence." Damon's face was stark with relief and it made Stefan's heart feel jagged and broken in a way he would never forget for the remainder of his life.

It felt like Death enfolding a shadow around them. In Damon's eyes all he could see was blood and horror to come, so he turned away once more. When he gained the courage to gaze up again, Damon was across the room, approaching Caroline. In the moment that he touched her hand, Stefan prayed with everything he was to God that his brother would return to her. Damon's hands had begun to shake even worse than before and when he grabbed hold of Caroline's cold, white fingers she turned to gaze upon him with a tender look in her clear eyes. Clearing his throat, Damon asked apprehensively, "Miss Caroline Forbes, would you do me the honor of a walk outside in the garden?" Her laugh rang out through the room, clinging to his heart like the scent of jasmine clung to the air slipping in through the windows. She shone like a star when she laughed, almost insubstantial in the absolute beauty of the sound it gave him.

"Why of course Mr. Salvatore," she responded with a teasing hint to her words. "And you asked me so politely, such a gentlemanly request. How could I dare refuse you, especially tonight?" Caroline's face glowed in the light with sadness for a split second, but then the happy expression was returned. Damon almost believed he had imagined the difference; but he knew her as well as his own soul and so he knew that it _had _happened.

Determination clouded her face with tightness unseen before, as she threaded her arm through his, leading him toward the doors on the other side of the room. Never had the journey seemed so long and torturous in any memory he could recall. Breaking into the open air with a gasp he filled his lungs. A giggle landed near his ear as she leaned close and spoke softly. "Damon just _breathe_ - in and out. I already know what you are hoping to ask me. The answer is yes as you must already have supposed. Uncle Allen actually said to me this evening before you arrived, 'Caroline my girl, if that boy asks you to marry him tonight, Preacher Henry has been invited to this gathering. We were all expecting it anyways.' I just laughed and called him ridiculous." She laughed again just then and all Damon could do was look at her in wonderment.

Damon had never felt more heavy of mind in all his life than just now. Yes, he had been planning to ask for her hand. However, he definitely did NOT want to marry her tonight. Their wedding would be a happy event, untainted by the evils of this war. They would be together forever, whether they were man and wife or not. If they were to be together in life or death remained to be seen. But if it was to be life, Damon refused to allow their start to be rushed and fearful. Seven years had passed since they had first met and he could wait seven more if need be, in patient anticipation. Now, for the courage to explain this to her he would give anything. Gasping in another breath he prepared for an argument.

"Darling, I do wish to marry you. But this war will not be the shadow that darkens the start of our life together. I will return to you if I may, that is certain. But if…" he began, trailing off with hesitance. Renewing his resolve he finished, "If I do not return, as is a true possibility, you must be free to continue your life without any ties holding you back. I will not enact the pain of widowhood upon you. I love you far too much for such a thing." Damon sighed, knowing what was going to happen next.

He had needed to say it though. After Caroline's younger sister Elena's husband Matthew had died on the field of battle, she had become a shadow of herself. At eighteen years old Elena was a mother and widow, miserable and lonely. Grief colored every look and touch, the pain in stark contrast to the joy she used to exude. That would never be his Caroline – he would not let her if he could prevent it.

She turned his head roughly toward hers with her hands grasping him firmly, not allowing him to turn away. Caroline in that moment looked as fierce as any soldier ever had, fires blazing hotly in the depths of her eyes, making them appear as forests burning to the ground. He felt his soul quiver and retreat. But Damon knew, even though she was fierce, he must not give in to her on this point. So he stood his ground even as she tried to convince him otherwise.

Caroline knew that if Damon died in this war, she would never marry another. If she were forced to, it would always be his icy blue eyes looking at hers and his coal black hair threading through her hands. No one else would ever make her laugh the same way, feel so in love. Yes, Caroline Ophelia Forbes was a strong woman and could handle anything. She knew that if he died, a part of her soul would wither, that famous strength not able to prevent it happening. All she wants is to be his wife, in this time of uncertainty and pain. But they are both resolved and while he is willing to be engaged, he refuses firmly to go inside and be joined in marriage this last night before it might all end forever. If she could gather the anger to slap him and storm away she would. But Caroline is so terrified that it would be his last memory of them together, of _her_, that she just cannot bring herself to enact her thoughts.

So the next morning when she sees him off, as the tears stain her face against her will, she is there as Miss Forbes and not Mrs. Damon Salvatore. He is just as upset, mostly because he can see how this afflicts her. In those moments of tears and reprimand, goodbyes and hopelessness, he regrets not giving in to her wishes. But then he is riding away, galloping as fast as he can and distancing himself from one horror, only to draw close to another much worse. Damon will never forget her face that last morning he gazed upon it; so full of every emotion ever felt throughout time, in days of war. It is interchangeable with his own.

_***End of Flashback***_

So as he waits for the dawn to rise completely, mist cooling the field where he is standing, he remembers Caroline. Damon resigns himself to death if it is to be or life it is not. All the same all he can think over and over again is that if he dies young it will be a tragedy. Because she will die young alongside him and live without meaning or purpose. So he prays, although he does not really believe in God anymore, to live another day. For her he will make it home, because she deserves to survive, to live whole and happy. They will catch those fireflies one day very soon. They must, so he convinces himself and prepares for blood and gore, to watch light go out of other men's eyes; only for her, always.


	3. By Your Side

**A/N: I took a little bit more time writing this particular chapter because I wanted to get it just right. I still haven't, but I think this is the best I can do. I have ideas for another chapter and their might be a companion story for Stefan and his love interest….who could that be? **** Anyways, thank you all so much for reviewing and supporting this story. Who knew that one sleep-deprived one-shot could turn into a story? Leave me your thoughts and enjoy the ones I've left for you. Oh and for the reviewer that asked, yes, Katherine will be mentioned in this chapter; put in her rightful place in my opinion. And this chapter was inspired by Tenth Avenue North's song "By Your Side."**

By Your Side

Damon's feeling of foreboding at Chancellorsville had been half correct. He hadn't died that day in battle. But oh, how he wished now that he had. It would have been merciful in comparison with what had actually happened. Without his left arm, he felt so disproportional, as if only half the man he used to be. Thank heaven he wasn't a farmer because he would really have reason to be upset then. Where dreams of battle had haunted him before, now they were replaced by that horrible afternoon of May 5th, when the company surgeon had performed the amputation. He could still feel the saw cutting through his flesh, clanging harshly when it reached the bone. Damon's own screams and bloody pain were in his nightmares now.

Before that horrible day, he had always prayed to go home. He had wanted nothing more than that. If only Damon hadn't been sent home this way, feeling defective and broken. Now all he can think about is leaving again, moving someplace far away where not a soul can look at him in pity for what he once was. Where he can't feel _her _eyes on him ever again, making his eyes water with tears of anguish. Damon still wants to marry her, so badly it makes his soul ache to imagine it. But then he thinks of their children, imagines holding them with his one arm and chokes back the urge to be violently ill. He didn't just lose his arm, now he hates himself more than he ever thought possible. Everyone is always going on about how much of a miracle it is that infection never set in, that he reached home alive. He guesses he can understand what they mean, but he thinks he'll never be able to feel it. Self-loathing situates far more easily with him.

It is at another, even more pathetic gathering of friends and neighbors that Caroline sees him standing off in the shadows. He is avoiding her and Caroline's heart smashes more every time it happens. He has been home almost six months now and it is November again. They have come full circle, back to a time that she wanted to marry Damon and he told her no. Now he won't even speak to her unless she forces him, corners him with no viable escape from her pleading gaze. Smoothing her skirts, Caroline thinks about all she has allowed him to get away with since he has been home – well, not anymore! If Damon thinks she will just roll over and submit to this foolishness, then he does not know her as well as he used to.

She moves deliberately over into the corner of shadows he is standing in and grabs onto his left arm firmly. Caroline drags him behind her towards those doors that go out to the garden, reaching for the handle as he struggles for freedom behind her. She feels ridiculous, like a scolding nanny to a disobedient child. When they reach the bench they sat together on a year ago, she shoves him onto it and says with anger obvious in her voice, "You are going to sit there and listen to what I need to say to you, Damon Salvatore. Stubbornly avoiding me is doing neither of us any good at all. I _will_ have my say in this!"

Taking a deep breath, she starts in on him. "Damon, you think you know what is good for me, but I can decide for myself. All I have ever wanted is to be with you. If I had been too weak for hardship I would have chosen someone else when you rode away to battle. We are young, in love and the only way this will destroy us is if you let it. I can't live knowing that you think you're not good enough for me! Why are you torturing both of us this way?" Caroline was almost in hysterics by the time she finished and she lowered herself to the ground, sitting clutching at his knees, crying in a way she hadn't allowed herself in months. Because her eyes were closed, she didn't see the tears streaming down his face as Damon stroked her hair with the hand he still had.

Guiding her gently away from his knees to stand upon her own feet, Damon stood up facing her. Caroline had never seen him look so weary and defeated. It was heartbreaking and crushing in its intensity. She forced herself to stand up straight and stop crying. If he could hold himself together so could she, Caroline thought to herself, not noticing the tear tracks staining his

cheeks.

Damon drew in a breath and counted to ten to steady himself for what he needed to say. "Caroline, I have loved you for almost half of my life. I love you far more than I have ever, or will ever, love myself. Stefan has taken care of you for me while I was away. While I wished to come home to you again, I never imagined that it would be like this, missing a part of myself. You deserve so much more than I can give you and I do not wish to tether you down in such a way." Damon finished just in time, for he could feel his voice beginning to crack with emotion.

That same fire entered Caroline's eyes, just as it had on that November night a year ago, when he had said similar words to her. "Damon Salvatore, I have thought you to be many things in the years I have known you. A coward was never one of those things until now." She turned as though to storm back in to the party. Damon felt something blaze in his own heart then, as he reached forward, grasping her arm and spinning her back to face him again.

"I will not be branded a coward when everything I have _ever_ done has been for you. I will not justify my actions because they speak for themselves. Caroline, you are not going to be my wife and that is my final decision." Letting go of her and making to leave, she grabbed onto him this time, and fully let him have an earful. "Sir, I do not know who exactly you think you are. I can tell you though; you are the man that I love and it stands to reason therefore that I _will _marry you, even if I have to hogtie you to do it! I'm sure your brother would help me in my endeavor!" She would have said more to him, but Damon cut her off with the press of his lips upon her own.

At first the kiss was harsh and desperate, but then it turned gentle, searching. Caroline clasped her arms around Damon's neck, holding him to her closely. If only this moment could never end, this perfect moment in a sea of trouble and sorrow. Damon lifted his hand, touching her face with tenderness that had been missing in him for so long now. Just as heat started to fill her bones, Damon pulled back. Still touching Caroline's face he gazed into her eyes questioningly. What were they to do now? How could they ever make it out from under this blackest night darkening his heart? Damon does know this is his fault and it tears away at him so hatefully that he feels like he will pass out. He turns away from her then, so she won't see the tears that have come once more to stain his face.

Caroline knew in that moment that he wasn't torturing her the way she had thought – he was demanding far more of his own sensibilities. Hesitantly she extended her hand and lightly touched his left shoulder. That was the moment that he became truly broken. Such kindness from a woman that Damon had treated so offensively was astounding. Caroline could feel his shoulders shaking with silent sobs and she wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing herself into him. Comfort was all she wanted to give to him right now, because she finally had a revelation in this moment about his behavior. It was designed to feed his self-hatred, not to hurt her. In his agony he had somehow convinced himself that she was better off without him. Damon's body began to quiet itself and she stepped back from him, anticipating what would come next; so Caroline did what seemed the simplest thing to her. She took his remaining hand in between both of her own. Gripping them encouragingly, she waited with a peace she had not felt in so very long.

Still facing away from Caroline, Damon felt the thoughts swirling around in his head like a swarm of bees. He must make a decision now, but what to do? Anything he says or does will affect them for the rest of their lives. The pressure is enough to make him become mute with abject terror, but he brushes past it. Now is not the time to fall apart. Returning his eyes to hers, Damon makes his decision in that instant, feeling like the fool that she knows he has been. Who is he to protect her from herself, if she wants to be with him? Since when had Caroline Forbes ever needed a man to tell her how to live her life? Damon knew what to say now.

"Caroline I have been without my wits. Forgive me for the agony I have put both of us through with my blindness. I have lost an arm and I still feel less than a man. But my feelings are not yours and with you by my side I cannot help but begin to feel renewed. You force me to be a better man than what I am in reality. Would you still have me if I asked you?" Damon barely got out that last sentence before she threw herself into his open embrace. Even with one arm his grip was still very impressive.

"Yes," she whispered into his ear, "I will most definitely spend my life with you, crazy as you have proven to be. I shall just have to be crazy alongside you." This time their kiss was full of hope for the future and truly pure in the delight it created in them both. No sooner had that heat returned to Caroline a second time than they were interrupted.

The maid stood next to the doors they had exited through, clearing her throat in embarrassment. These rich people were so shameless, thought Katerina to herself. Coming from the Old Country to this hideously crude New World sometimes felt like the biggest mistake of her life. But the money she sent to her family almost made up for times like this, she consoled herself, with thought to her beautiful mother. When Damon and Caroline separated to look at her, waiting for her to speak, Katerina blushed redder than a tomato.

"Mister Salvatore, your father and brother are looking for you and Miss Forbes. I was sent to find you. I am sorry for…interrupting," she choked out, her blush growing deeper than she thought possible. These Americans were definitely different than _her_ people in Bulgaria.

Damon appeared to be smirking at her discomfort when he answered, "Thank you for telling us, Miss Petrova. We will be sure to find them. Come along Caroline." Off they went past her, laughing merrily, into the house to rejoin the party. Well I never, thought Kat to herself in a huff. At least Stefan isn't that rude to me, she continued turning dreamy. Maybe someday…then she decided to shake it off and resume her duties. No sense dwelling on such ridiculous notions that would never be.

**A/N: So what did you all think? I am going to be writing at least another chapter to tell what happens to them. But I could also write one of the wedding if you wanted me to. Thoughts on that?** **I couldn't kill him off, but thought it unrealistic that he'd be unaffected by the war. Slight hints of PTSD in the bit about the nightmares. Poor Damon, but Caroline turned out pretty kick-ass. Exactly like I always picture her. **


	4. The Only Exception

**A/N: You know what they say…everybody loves a wedding! Hello one and all, so happy to see that you're pleased with me. I just seem to be overflowing with inspiration and all your reviews make me smile so much. So here is your reward – the wedding chapter! **** In answer to questions I've gotten, vampires do not exist in this story. But there could be plenty of human angst in a sequel… What do you guys think? Do you want a sequel with Stefan's love story? I'm thinking he could end up with either Elena (who is a mother & widow, remember?) or Katherine. I have some ideas rolling around already. Just give me your thoughts and enjoy! **** This chapter was inspired by Paramore's song "The Only Exception."**

The Only Exception

Sunshine filed in through the shutters of the church windows with cheerful defiance. By all means it was rather unexpected. Normally though fairly warm, Virginia was not quite this sunny in the earliest days of April {just guessing, don't live in VA}. Today, April 5th, was a special day though and maybe for once in his life, God was giving Damon Salvatore something to enjoy with no pain attached to it. It had been months since he had decided to let Caroline into his heart again and renew their engagement. They were supposed to be married on the first of December, 1863 but Damon and Stefan had been derailed from their normal lives by Giuseppe's sudden death. Although he had been a fairly horrible parent, they were still entrenched in grief and taking over running the house and business matters had needed focused attention.

So now, here he was preparing to be married to the woman he loves more than he can say. As he stands here at the church altar with Stefan at his side, waiting on her arrival, Damon is awed by how much his life has given him that he never expected. From every experience he has had of marriage, Damon should be terrified and running in the opposite direction. The destruction caused by his Mother's untimely death has altered the lives of everyone close to her in improbable ways –all because of his Father's heartbreak. Poor Elena Forbes Donovan was another example of heartache. She was slowly beginning to mend but from what he gathered just a few months before he had returned from the war, she had been coming unhinged. All because of the power of love had so much destruction come about.

Yet, here he is at this altar waiting to become a husband. Damon almost thinks that he is dreaming this and will wake up any moment now, to find that none of it was real. But then he looks over and sees Stefan grinning at his brother's nerves and realizes that this is truly happening. Caroline is about to become Mrs. Damon Gianni Salvatore; exhaling deeply he waits for that next thing to happen, for those doors to come swinging open.

Stefan knows that his brother is shaking with nervousness and disbelief. He never thought this day would come, after Damon returned home from the front with demons plaguing his thoughts and shadowing his moves. Caroline had refused to let him retreat from her though. It made Stefan soar to think about such wonderful love that could stretch over such adversity. A month and a half after Damon left to battle the Yankees, Caroline had come to him asking for a favor.

They still hadn't told Damon the extent of Elena's troubles after losing Matthew. A gaunt shell she had needed rescue. Now she needed constant care and attention, although she was improving little by little. But Stefan vowed that while he would care for her and her daughter in memory of Matthew, he would not allow himself to truly care. There would not be a second Salvatore wedding. So standing here as the best man to his brother's happy event, Stefan is in awe of true love but shut against it. Not so far away, just down the street in her childhood bedroom Caroline is almost ready.

Katerina is helping Caroline into her wedding dress, buttoning up the back (there are fifty small buttons, an idiot designed this one – at the very least a maid definitely _did not_). But although she is annoyed by all the small pearly-white buttons, Katerina is envious. Miss Caroline has found something worth holding onto forever. She and her lover will be eternally bound together and they will be happy. Both of those things do not always happen together as she has known for most of her own life.

Kat is lonely in this foreign land, far away from her Mama; she has no one that will reassure her. So the envy seeps in although she tries her best to quell it. After all, these rich people and she will never have enough in common for her to be truly envious. She is free even though she is employed as a servant and they are slaves to their money and social expectations. This is what Kat tells herself as her heart bleeds, dressing a bride when she knows she will probably never be one herself.

Caroline is giddy with excitement. Today is the day that she will finally be joined with the man she loves. Against all his stubborn attempts to fight her, Caroline had managed to win him over, forever this time. Thankfully this day will not involve a hogtied Groom, however funny that may have been. Her one true disappointment is that none of her family will be there to see it happen. Mother, Father and Meredith had moved to Massachusetts to live with Father's spinster sister Anna. Uncle Allen and Aunt Glory, whom she and Elena had been living with, needed to stay home and look after Elena who was still recovering from her ordeal.

This is the only thing to darken her mood, because unlike Stefan and Damon, she has no reservations about marriage. Caroline has seen the same pain and disaster that they have seen. But she is firm in the belief that they are different. They will be the only exception if pain and sorrow are the normal course of this path. There will be sunsets, dancing, kisses, fireflies, picnics and many children to join them in their adventures. So she has no doubts and is shining so brightly that she is almost blinding to poor, Katerina. It may seem a pathetic start to a marriage, with only a maid and Damon's brother in attendance but this does not deter her. She would have married him the day before he left for war, with just Preacher Henry and no one else.

With all the buttons done up, her hair twisted high upon her head, and her skirts smoothed nothing else is left. The dress is white, covered in lacy designs and woven with orange blossoms around the neckline {there will be a link to this on my profile if you're curious}. There was no veil, because she wanted to see his face clearly as she walked down the aisle. She has a blue garter on, is wearing Elena's pearl teardrop necklace, and has a sixpence in her shoe. Everything is perfect after a year of complete and utter Hell. Dreams apparently can come true, though for a time she did wonder if they would for _her_.

Now in her thoughts there is only the future as she and Katerina make their way down the stairs to the carriage waiting outside. Riding down the street, further into town toward the church, Caroline's stomach feels full of jittery butterflies. It is really time for their wedding; Caroline has not been dreaming and wishing for it fruitlessly. It was not a delusion, it is really happening. The Prince really chose her and she is about to choose him for eternity.

Damon and Stefan both look at the door expectantly when they hear the carriage pull up outside. Surprisingly, turning to look at Damon, his brother says with quiet conviction, "I am so proud of you Damon. I know you and Caroline can make it through this and anything else that might come your way. I love you brother." Damon is about to answer with something that is sure to be inadequate but then the doors open and his breath is stolen away.

Words fail, time stops and every angel in Heaven above ring the bells joyfully. Then she is moving toward him, guided down the aisle by Katerina's sure and steady grasp. Kat looks just as beautiful in a dark blue gown, white ribbons woven through her hair and that defiant sunshine glinting off her tanned skin through the shutters. But Damon notices none of this as she comes closer and closer. Finally she is near enough to clasp her right hand in his left one. They both turn to face Preacher Henry as Stefan and Kat are transfixed by the ensuing events from their respective ends of the altar.

Henry Fell smiles at the sight before him. This day was never in question as to whether or not it would come to pass; only when it would do so. He remembers all the times they were caught as teenagers in some mischief or another and he is at peace. Henry knows these two will be together forever because they belong together in a way no other souls he has married ever did. So he begins to tie them together with the words of marriage.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered in this house of the lord today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. These bonds of heaven no man will ever break shall entwine their hearts in love and partnership all the days of their lives. As said in the Bible in the book of 1st Corinthians, verses three thru eight, '_Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails...' _With these promises we ready for the vows." Looking at the couple before him Henry's smile only grows wider and gentler than it has ever been.

"Do you Damon Gianni Salvatore, take this woman, Caroline Ophelia Forbes to be your lawfully wedded wife, according to God's holy decree; do you promise to be to her a loving and loyal husband, to cherish and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, to be faithful only to her as long as you both shall live?" Damon glances over at Caroline radiating love and beauty in that instant such as the Preacher had never seen and would never see again in his lifetime.

"I do," Damon says unhesitatingly. Every aspect of his soul is written on his face with those words and it shows Caroline things she never hoped to see. Then it is her turn.

"Do you Caroline Ophelia Forbes, take this man, Damon Gianni Salvatore to be your lawfully wedded husband, according to God's holy decree; do you promise to be to him a loving and loyal wife, to cherish and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, to be faithful only to him as long as you both shall live?" Caroline is incandescent with life. She feels as though she has been lit on fire and her heart is burning with everything she's ever felt in all her young life. At twenty-one years old she is finished in the best of ways. Anything else is just the gift of life to someone that is loved so much already, enough for ten lifetimes.

"I do," she says, almost breathless in her moment of acceptance. Preacher Henry continues forth, eager for this to be done so nothing can possibly go wrong. "All right my children, now for the exchange of rings." Stefan walks forward carefully, handing Damon the two matching rings (Violet & Giuseppe's wedding rings) that he lifts out of his jacket pocket.

Damon takes his Mother's ring into his hand and grasps Caroline warmly. "With this ring, I thee wed." With that last passionate declaration he places the ring upon her finger. "With this ring, I thee wed." Caroline returns the favor, unexpressed laughter curving her lips into an almost dangerous smile. "I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Damon Salvatore. You may kiss your bride." Just barely has Preacher Henry uttered these words when Caroline grabs onto Damon's lapels and kisses him forcefully.

Stefan and Kat are laughing then in sheer delight, because they have decided that their doubts can rest for one day and in that moment they glance at one another with curiosity. Kat gives him a slight smile and looks away, blushing shyly. Stefan is left wondering what just happened and why he never noticed how beautiful she was before. But then they are both taken from this odd spark they have felt when Damon takes Stefan by the arm, and Caroline grabs Katerina's hand and they all go running from the church.

Later on at the Salvatore house there will be much revelry and spirited feasting. Then when Damon and Caroline retire for the evening (eager to be alone, together in that one last, mysterious way), Stefan and Kat will exchange a few glances. He will start to wonder who she is and what her heart feels. She will feel a flutter of hope – maybe her notions are not so ridiculous after all. But all of this goes unobserved by the newlyweds upstairs, entangled in each other, dancing their first dance as man and wife.

**A/N: So who wants an epilogue to find out what happens to them? After the epilogue will be a story about Stefan fulfilling Caroline's mysterious favor for her sister Elena…and possibly his romance with either her or everyone's favorite snarky maid, Katerina Petrova (a.k.a. Katherine Pierce). If anyone's interested in reading that story, please offer any suggestions you want to give me (not promising I'll take them, but if I do I will credit you for them). It will probably be a lot longer than this one also. Just tell me what you want people and I will do my best to deliver! **


	5. Epilogue: Fireflies

**A/N: So, here lies the fate of your favorite 19****th**** Century married couple! Alas, no names will be dropped as to who Stefan's wife is; although she will be mentioned briefly (to torment you all of course!****) and so will Stefan and their children. This will probably be about as long as the first chapter was. Not much longer than that, unless the keyboard runs away from me again! **** It could happen, as I've realized in the past two days since I became a TVD Daroline writing machine! This chapter is inspired by the song "Fireflies" by Owl City, which actually kicked off this whole odyssey of Daroline to begin with. Enjoy and leave your thoughts! **

Epilogue: Fireflies

Damon must be going backwards. Now at twenty-eight years old, he feels far younger than he did when he was twenty. It would be totally ridiculous to think about – unless you could live his life for just a day. He started feeling this way on the 18th of May, 1865. That was the day that his and Caroline's partnership became split into thirds. That was the day Damon and Caroline became parents to a beautiful baby girl, Lynette Violet Salvatore. Until he saw it with his own eyes, Caroline lying on their bed holding their daughter, both of them still _alive_, Damon had been completely terrified. Through the first perfect three months of their marriage, nothing could bring them back down to Earth. But then Doctor Strong had informed them of her condition.

The following seven months had been the most fraying on their nerves that either had experienced. But now, looking back upon that time Damon would not change a single moment of it. Looking at Nettie, with her wild blonde hair and icy blue eyes, both her parents pray that she will always be as happy as she is now. One thing is certain, even though Nettie just turned six years old two months ago, she knows her own mind. That is a very kind way of saying that stubbornness seems to be a genetic trait of Salvatore and Forbes children. She is not the lone example of this either, her younger brothers are much the same at four years old. Clay and Ephraim Salvatore are renowned throughout town as professional mischief makers. Already they take advantage of their state of identical looks to drive their Mother and Father completely crazy. But neither can stay firm with them for very long.

The only child that does not seem to have inherited stubbornness is one year old William. He is the calmest personage in the family and often makes his parents feel as though he is scolding them. Never before could a glance other than Caroline's quell Damon's own childish antics and it is the most uncommon thing she has ever witnessed. She almost laughs just to think about it. William's gaze could have won the Confederate Army the War…at least that's the joke everyone in the family makes at Damon's expense.

Here is Damon, a father of four with another child soon to join them, sitting on the front porch at twilight. It is June and the air is thick and humid, with the promise of rain tonight or tomorrow. In the last of the dying light, he watches Caroline and the children playing on the lawn. Even with her pregnant belly starting to show prominently, she looks the same as she always has to him – perfect.

As the clouds of fireflies surround his happy family, Damon is reminded of being sixteen and running through a meadow; touching the ribbons of his one true love as the breeze blows through them. Dreaming of this moment without any real understanding of what it might actually feel like. Tomorrow they will rejoin the world when Stefan and his family join them for a family dinner, but this night is just for them and the fireflies illuminating the perfection that they have attained against all odds. Running, Damon joins them, twirling Caroline with his only arm and dancing circles around his amazed children. Daddy is a God in this moment and they never want it to end. So the moment stops, frozen for them, lifting their small hearts up into the sky. Damon and Caroline just dance and dance, until they feel out of the universe and connected in the way they always do. Ribbons aren't needed for perfection, as they both know now.


	6. Author's Note: Sequel!

**Author's Note: **I have ideas for a sequel (Stefan's story) and am currently writing the first chapter as I take a timeout to type this note to all of you! It will be called, "Out of Thin Air" for those of you that are interested. You can watch for it or put me on author alert if you wish. This sequel will have some appearances by Caroline considering her sister (Elena) will be a main character. I have yet to decide whether or not Stefan will end up with Katerina or Elena. While writing this story Kat grew on me, so you never know. But the beginning of the story will be set after Damon goes off to fight for the Confederacy and before he returns without his arm. It will also cover a period of the time after D&C's wedding. So please keep an eye out if you're interested and suggestions are always welcome! See you later and hope that you had as much fun as I did. To all who reviewed, you have my deepest love and gratitude; you are the reason this story blazed like a wildfire and got finished so fast. Plus, this week is my spring break from school. I will try to get as much of a jumpstart as possible on the sequel, so that when I'm back in school, even though my updates will be slower a foundation will be built


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